Upper Gwynedd housekeeper sent to jail for stealing from clients

COURTHOUSE — A former housekeeper sobbed uncontrollably upon learning she’ll spend Christmas in jail for stealing nearly $125,000 worth of jewelry and rare coins from the homes of three of her clients in Upper Gwynedd and Montgomery townships.

Carolyn Ann Lozzi, 47, of the 2600 block of Morris Road, Upper Gwynedd, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court on Wednesday to 10 ½-to-23 months in the county jail after she pleaded guilty to a felony charge of theft by unlawful taking in connection with incidents that occurred at three homes where she was hired as a housekeeper between January and July 2010.

“Can I please have Christmas with my children?” Lozzi, a mother of three adult children, pleaded with the judge.

Judge Joseph A. Smyth flatly denied the request and ordered Lozzi to report to jail on Dec. 19. The judge also ordered Lozzi to pay a total of $124,000 in restitution to the victims or their insurance companies. Smyth further ordered that restitution be paid first to the victims and then to the insurance companies.

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Lozzi, who left the courtroom weeping and expressing disbelief at being sentenced to jail, submitted a payment of $15,000 toward the restitution on Wednesday.

The homeowners lived along Haines Drive and Lilac Court in Upper Gwynedd and along Bridal Path Road in Montgomery Township, court papers indicate.

“I’m very sorry for what I’ve done. There’s no excuse for what I’ve done,” Lozzi told the judge.

Assistant District Attorney Sophia Polites argued for jail time against Lozzi, pointing out Lozzi previously served a probationary sentence on theft-related charges for stealing from clients while she worked as a housekeeper several years ago.

“This was not a lapse in judgment,” Polites argued to the judge, adding Lozzi made 22 visits to an area jewelry store to pawn some of the items she stole from the most recent victims.

Lozzi previously claimed she stole the items because she was in debt and needed money to take care of her children and to pay her rent and bills.

“I submit most Americans are in debt and that’s no reason to commit these crimes,” Polites argued.

Defense lawyer Robert L. Adshead argued for leniency on behalf of Lozzi, asking for a sentence of house arrest or one that included work release.

“Her overriding desire in this case is to make (the victims) whole. Putting her in jail delays her paying. She wants to pay these folks back. She wants to work so she can pay them back,” Adshead argued, adding since her arrest Lozzi enrolled in school to become a massage therapist with the hope of getting a job with a good income so she can repay the victims.

Adshead said the thefts were borne out of Lozzi’s desperation when she couldn’t afford her bills and incurred debt. The thefts were not committed so Lozzi could live a lavish lifestyle, Adshead maintained.

“She took the money and she paid her household bills with it. She paid her necessities, not luxuries,” Adshead maintained.

An investigation of Lozzi began when a Haines Drive resident told Upper Gwynedd police that she hired Lozzi to clean her home in January and February 2010 and gave Lozzi a key providing full access to the home, according to a criminal complaint. When the woman returned home from a vacation she discovered various jewelry items, including three diamond rings, were missing, according to the arrest affidavit filed by Upper Gwynedd Police Sergeant Stephen Gillen. Gold coins also were missing, police said.

A Montgomery Township couple notified police in June 2010 that seven rings and two necklaces were discovered missing from their Bridal Path Road home.

“No one other than the (victims) and Lozzi had access to the home. There was no evidence that force was used to gain entry into the home,” Gillen alleged.

Another Upper Gwynedd resident reported a theft at her Lilac Court condominium in July 2010, a home at which she hired Lozzi to clean. The woman reported several jewelry items missing from a jewelry cabinet, including a “custom-manufactured blue and gold diamond bracelet,” according to the arrest affidavit.

In August 2010, investigators determined that Lozzi had sold at least 58 items on 22 occasions to a Hatfield Township jewelry store, according to the arrest affidavit. The sales netted Lozzi about $15,455 in cash, court documents alleged. Some of the victims subsequently identified some of the items as those that had been reported stolen.